Information Governance Requirements
PSNC has developed a series of guidance documents to assist you as you work towards your information governance (IG) declaration for 2018/19. This was previously known as the IG Toolkit, but this year you must complete the new ‘Data Security and Protection Toolkit’ no later than 31st March 2019.
PSNC have agreed key areas with NHS Digital which will significantly reduce the work you need to do to complete the Toolkit.
- First, ensure you have completed the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Workbook as you can simply tick a box to confirm this and around half of the questions will be auto-completed.
- Secondly, with support from a number of PMR suppliers, many contractors will have access to information to help answer up to 12 technical questions.
PSNC has made guidance materials available which are available below:
Toolkit completion: Overview – this outlines six steps to complete the Toolkit.
Toolkit completion: Question-by-question guidance (mandatory questions) (PDF version) – this can be used to work your way down the Toolkit questions from top to bottom completing the mandatory questions not already marked completed.
Toolkit completion: Question-by-question guidance (all) – this Excel spreadsheet, covering all mandatory and optional questions, provides an alternative to using the PDF.
Next steps
PSNC recommends that you register now and a look at the guidance documents above.
Some pharmacy contractors may consider it beneficial to finish the Toolkit questions after:
- their PMR supplier may have added some relevant information against some technical questions (scheduled for mid-January 2019); or
- the batch submission feature (for owners of multiple pharmacies) has been made available in early 2019.
You are expected to meet all mandatory evidence requirements which means that all questions marked as mandatory must be completed.
The Toolkit has been significantly updated to incorporate GDPR and the National Data Guardian’s Ten Data Security Standards for the healthcare sector.
Further information and updates are available on the PSNC website.
